Razor blade sharpening device



Oct. 31, 1967 I 1555 A 3,349,646

RAZOR BLADE SHARPENING'DEVICE Filed May 20, 1966 FIG.7 V39 4| :m/ INVEINTORIS OTTO S/E'SS WALTER E BEACH ATTORNEY United States Patent Filed May 20, 1966, Ser. No. 551,634 Claims. (Cl. 7689.2)

This invention relates to a sharpening device for razor blades. More specifically, it deals with a sharpening device in which the blade is reciprocated while its edge slides between two spherical bodies which are slightly ofiset laterally. Other features of the invention include means for reciprocating said blade, means for mounting and holding said blade, and means for maintaining an even pressure on said edge.

Various devices have been proposed in the art for sharpening razor blades. Among these, is a unit wherein two spherical members are held against each other, while being positioned directly opposite one another in a clamp or frame. The razor blade is passed by hand between the spheres until the edge is satisfactorily sharpened.

According to the present invention, it has been found that a keener edge may be obtained in a shorter time by laterally offsetting one of the spheres so that the line passing through their centers is displaced about 3 to about 7, preferably 5, with respect to the perpendicular to the plane of the blade. Also, novel means are provided to reciprocate the blade between the spheres while main taining a substantially even pressure of the edge on the spheres.

The invention will be more readily understood by ref erence to the accompanying drawing in which a preferred embodiment is described, and in which the same numerals refer to similar parts in the various figures.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 depicts a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a top or plan view thereof.

FIGURE 3 presents the front elevational end view thereof.

FIGURE 4 shows the rear elevational end view thereof.

FIGURE 5 depicts a schematic top view representation of the positioning of the sharpening balls with respect to the blade being sharpened.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a side elevational view of another modification of the invention.

FIGURE 7 shows a top or plan view of the unit depicted in FIGURE 6.

Referring again to the drawing, numeral 10 represents a flat base having a narrowed forward end 12. A groove 11 is cut in the upper portion of base 10, beginning at its rearward edge, and terminating at the point 13 where the narrowed portion begins. Slide 14 is disposed in groove 11 and is designed to reciprocate therein. Bracket plates 15 and 15' are attached, by screws 16, to the top of base 10 and they partially overlap groove 11 and slide 14 so as to prevent displacement of slide 14 out of the groove.

Attached to slide 14 is vertical support 17. Pivotally attached at its end to the top of support 17, at 18, is mounting arm 19, which is designed to carry the razor blade to be sharpened. Spring 21 is attached to arm 19 at 22, and to slide 14 at 23, and it serves to impress a substantially even tension on arm 19 as it is reciprocate. The reciprocation is elfected by hook 24, which is moved by one hand, while base 10 is held in the other. Hook 24 is attached at 25 to slide 14.

Blade 20 is mounted on arm 19 by sliding blade holes 26 and 26' over pins 27 and 27' which project from the side of arm 19. Flat spring 28, which is pivoted at ice 29 to arm 19, serves to lock blade 20 onto arm 19 and prevent its slippage off pins 27-27.

On each side of forward end 12 of base 10 are mounted, by screws 33, mounting support straps or plates 30 and 30'. Holes 31 and 31' serve to hold hardened steel balls 32 and 32' tightly against each other, holes 31-31 being of smaller size than the diameter of the balls. Balls 32-32' are desirably of the same size, and one of the balls, say ball 32, is disposed laterally in offset position with respect to the other ball, as is apparent from FIG- URE 5, so that the line through the centers of the balls is displaced at an angle X of about 3 to about 7, preferably about 5, from the line perpendicular to the plane of the blade 20, on which line the centerline of the balls would be were the balls disposed exactly opposite each other. It is desirable that balls 32-32 be held tightly together so that blade 20 will not slip therebetween. For this purpose, it may be desirable to insert screw 34 between plates 30-30 adjacent said balls.

In order to operate the sharpener, spring 28 is raised by turning it on pivot 29, and blade 20 is inserted over pins 27-27. These pins may be spaced so as to enable mounting thereon either the single or the double-edged blades. Other means for holding different types of blades may be employed, such as holding means mounted on the side of mounting arm 19 opposite the side on which pins 27-27 are disposed. Then spring 28 is slipped over to cover the blade which is held down over the juncture of balls 32-32' by spring 21. Thereafter, the blade is reciprocated between balls 32-32 by means of hooked handle 24.

Base 10 may have dimensions of 1 x 2%" to the narrowed portion 12 which may be A" long and about wide. Balls 32-32' may be of 4 diameter, and the plates 30-30" holding the balls may be about 1 /2" long and /8" wide. Slot 11 may be /2" wide by deep. Support 17 may be 1" high to pivot 18, while arm 19 may be 3" long. It is thus seen that the sharpening device of the present invention is compact and very easy to handle.

In the unit depicted in FIGURES 6-7, a vertical wall 35 is attached to the side of base 10. This serves to hold pivot 36 to which is attached the end of rocking arm 37. To the other end of arm 37 is pivotally attached, at 18, the rearward end of mounting arm 19 which carries blade 20. The lower end of spring 21 is attached to wall 35 at 38. A yoke 39, pivoted at 40 onto arm 37, is pulled back and forth by handle 41, attached to yoke 39, which movement serves to sharpen the edge of blade 20.

It has been found that, by use of the offset sharpening balls 32-32', it is necessary to reciprocate arm 19 only about 6 times for each shave. By use of this sharpening device it has been possible to use the same blade for a month, or even more.

Although manual reciprocation has been shown, it is apparent that a battery driven motor may be employed for the same purpose, using conventional mounting and linking arrangements. Also, although the lower end of said spring 21 has been shown as attached to the base or wall 35, it is to be understood that it may be attached to other elements, such as support 17.

We claim:

1. A razor blade sharpening device, comprising, in combination:

a base,

a pair of upright oppositely-disposed plates attached at their bottoms to said base and each having ball mounting means,

a pair of spherical bodies mounted in said mounting means opposite each other and in tightly pressing and laterally offset relation,

a mounting arm having razor blade mounting means disposed at one end in sharpening position above said spherical bodies,

reciprocating means attached to the other end of said mounting arm to reciprocate said blade-carrying arm over said spherical bodies, and

spring tension means attached to said mounting arm in order to impress pressure upon a razor blade edge being sharpened between said spherical bodies.

2. A razor blade sharpening device, according to claim 1, in which the lateral offset of said spherical bodies is a deviation of about 3 to about 7 for the line between spherical centers when compared to the line between spherical centers if the bodies had been disposed directly opposite each other.

3. A razor blade sharpening device, according to claim 2, in which said lateral offset is a deviation of about 4. A razor blade sharpening device, according to claim 1, in which said base has a groove in its upper portion and leading to said plates,

a slide disposed in said groove for reciprocation therein,

a vertical support attached to said slide,

a pivot connection connecting the other end of said mounting arm and the upper portion of said support, and

handle means attached to said slide in a manner such as to allow reciprocation over said spherical bodies of a blade mounted on said arm while said arm is under spring tension.

5. A razor blade sharpening device, according to claim 1, in which said base has a pivot connection,

a vertical rocking arm swivelly attached at one end to said base pivot connection,

a pivot connetcion pivotally connecting the other end of said mounting arm with said rocking arm, a saddle attached to near the central portion of said rocking arm, and a handle attached to said rocking arm in a manner such as to enable rocking of said rocking arm and thus reciprocating over said spherical bodies of a blade mounted on said mounting arm while said latter arm is under spring tension.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,469,147 9/1923 Bird 7689.2

1,916,600 7/1933 Benson 76-892 FOREIGN PATENTS 216,752 1/1942 Switzerland.

GMNVILLE Y. CUSTER, IR., Primary Examiner. 

1. A RAZOR BLADE SHARPENING DEVICE, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A BASE, A PAIR OF UPRIGHT OPPOSITELY-DISPOSED PLATES ATTACHED AT THEIR BOTTOMS TO SAID BASE AND EACH HAVING BALL MOUNTING MEANS, A PAIR OF SPHERICAL BODIES MOUNTED IN SAID MOUNTING MEANS OPPOSITE EACH OTHER AND IN TIGHTLY PRESSING AND LATERALLY OFFSET RELATION, A MOUNTING ARM HAVING RAZOR BLADE MOUNTING MEANS DISPOSED AT ONE END IN SHARPENING POSITION ABOVE SAID SPHERICAL BODIES, RECIPROCATING MEANS ATTACHED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID MOUNTING ARM TO RECIPROCATE SAID BLADE-CARRYING ARM OVER SAID SPHERICAL BODIES, AND SPRING TENSION MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID MOUNTING ARM IN ORDER TO IMPRESS PRESSURE UPON A RAZOR BLADE EDGE BEING SHARPENED BETWEEN SAID SPHERICAL BODIES. 